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Heading to Ballarat this spring? There’s a new walking trail worth lacing up for. The new 10,000 Steps Loop has officially opened in Woowookarung Regional Park, winding for eight magical kilometres through leafy native forest, gentle hills and past some seriously lovely lookouts.
Just five kilometres from the heart of Ballarat, the 641-hectare Woowookarung Regional Park is a pretty special pocket of protected land. The new three-hour circuit follows formed tracks through messmate stringybark forest, past grass trees and seasonal wildflowers, along elevated sections and through open stretches where you can pause to take in the landscape, including a lookout with sweeping views across Ballarat towards Mount Clear. The walk is a grade 3 trail, making it a moderately easy bush adventure, although you’ll encounter some undulating terrain and short hills along the way.
Designed for walkers, runners and cyclists, the new loop is all about making the most of Woowookarung’s natural setting while encouraging visitors to get moving. It also connects with the accessible Dementia-friendly Forest and Sensory Trail, so there’s plenty more to explore once you’ve ticked off your 10,000 steps.
Hiking potential aside, there are other major reasons why this is big news for the area. For context, Woowookarung has come a long way since its days as a former mining and timber harvesting site. Established in 2016 following a grassroots community campaign, the park has been transformed into a much-loved natural escape for recreation, wellbeing, learning and connecting with Country.
Over the past decade, Parks Victoria and its partners have delivered a string of improvements, including the award-winning Dementia-friendly Forest and Sensory Trail, Fern Loop, Cherry Ballarat Loop and Grass Tree Nature Trail, as well as upgrades to the Mount Clear mountain bike trails. More than 10,000 native trees and shrubs have also been planted, while safety, signage, roads, tracks and carparks have all been improved. And there’s more on the way. The 10,000 Steps Loop marks the beginning of Woowookarung’s next chapter, with community consultation now underway regarding plans for a new central visitor site.
Backed by a $500,000 government investment, the proposed site would include picnic facilities, seating, barbecues, toilets and improved visitor information, while creating better connections between some of the park’s key attractions. The designs are being co-created with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, Friends of Canadian Corridor and the City of Ballarat, with locals invited to have their say over here.
For now, though, the best way to experience Woowookarung’s latest addition is to hit the trail.
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